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The Hole-in-One Gang (1991)

In the summer of 1991 Essex boys Paul Simmons (an on-course bookmaker's clerk) and John Carter (a former betting shop manager) toured the British Isles looking for independent betting shops who would give them odds on a hole-in-one being scored at the British Open, the Benson & Hedges, the Volvo PGA, the U.S. Open and the European Open.

Their research had shown the probability of a hole-in-one at any of these events was no bigger than even money but they were still able to get odds of up to 100/1 on the occurrence and managed to place several doubles, trebles and accumulators (of it happening at all five events) placed at double-digit prices.

There was a hole-in-one at all five tournaments and when Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez sunk the last of them at the European Open at Walton Heath, Surrey, Simmons and Carter's winnings totaled more than ?500,000 not including the 12 bookmakers that refused to pay them out, declared themselves bankrupt or did not renew their betting permit.

Posted By: SCC 28, Apr 30, 23:43:15